# Is this story from an established Mythos?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-story-from-an-established-mythos/473317>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 18, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-story-from-an-established-mythos/473317 "2008-11-18T18:04:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-story-from-an-established-mythos/473317/1 "2008-11-18T18:04:18Z")

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At the beginning of _Prince Ombra_ the author tells a story that goes roughly: Just before we are born the cavern angel puts his finger to our lips and says: Shhh, don’t tell what you know. This is why we don’t remember our past lives and why we have the little dimple on our upper lips.

Did the author make this up, or is this from an established mythology?

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**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-story-from-an-established-mythos/473317/2 "2008-11-18T18:06:09Z")

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Whoa. So babies with cleft lips just wouldn’t shut up, or what?

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**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-story-from-an-established-mythos/473317/3 "2008-11-18T18:14:27Z")

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It’s in the Talmud.

Also in the movie _Prophecy_ with Christpher Walken.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-story-from-an-established-mythos/473317/4 "2008-11-18T18:15:58Z")

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> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> It’s in the Talmud.
> 
> Also in the movie _Prophecy_ with Christpher Walken.

The Talmud teaches reincarnation?

Learn somethin’ new ever’ day, I do.

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**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-story-from-an-established-mythos/473317/5 "2008-11-18T18:22:38Z")

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> [@KneadToKnow](#):
>
> The Talmud teaches reincarnation?
> 
> Learn somethin’ new ever’ day, I do.

Not reincarnation. It says that while the fetus is still in the womb, an angel teaches it all of the Torah, then just before it’s born, the angel hushes it with the finger on the upper lip.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-story-from-an-established-mythos/473317/6 "2008-11-18T18:29:37Z")

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> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> Not reincarnation. It says that while the fetus is still in the womb, an angel teaches it all of the Torah, then just before it’s born, the angel hushes it with the finger on the upper lip.

Gotcha. Still counts as a new thing to learn. 🙂